Ratatouille
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Ratatouille is the perfect way to make the most of summer produce. This classic French stew turns basic vegetables into something deeply flavorful.
Ratatouille is a vibrant vegetable stew from Provence, the sunny region in the south of France near the Mediterranean. It’s made with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes, all simmered with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs until tender and full of flavor. Since the vegetables all cook at different rates, the key to a really good ratatouille is to cook them separately so they hold their texture and don’t turn to mush.
Ratatouille takes some time to prepare, so I like to make a big batch on the weekend. It keeps well in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day, once the flavors have had time to mingle.
Once it’s made, it’s incredibly versatile—serve it as a vegetarian main with grains or creamy polenta, alongside Italian sausage, grilled steak, grilled chicken, or cedar planked salmon, or tuck it into omelets or frittatas. It’s also great spooned over crostini with a little goat cheese—or straight from the fridge as a healthy snack. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
“What a great way to use the summer harvest. Enjoyed it with a little goat cheese on top. My husband loved it too – this is a keeper!”
What You’ll Need To Make Ratatouille
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For sautéing and adding depth of flavor. A drizzle at the end pulls everything together.
- Eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper & tomatoes – Each brings something different to the mix: eggplant soaks up flavor and adds richness, zucchini stays tender with a mild sweetness, bell pepper adds brightness and texture, and tomatoes break down into a light, flavorful sauce.
- Onion & garlic – Build a savory base and round out the veggie flavors.
- Tomato paste – Concentrates the tomato flavor and helps the juices cling to the vegetables.
- Fresh thyme & basil – Thyme adds a subtle earthiness; basil gives the dish a fresh finish.
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) – For a touch of heat; add to taste or leave it out.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the eggplant. Begin by heating 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the zucchini. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the peppers and aromatics. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until everything is tender but not browned.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down and everything is well combined. Cook until the tomatoes break down into a sauce, about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add the eggplant and simmer. Return the cooked eggplant to the pan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender and the flavors have melded.
Step 6: Finish the dish. Add the zucchini back to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, just until warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme before serving. Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled.
Video Tutorial
More Summer Veggie Recipes You May Like
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a make-ahead-friendly dish that only gets better with time—serve it warm, cold, or any way in between.
Ingredients
- 1 large (1¼ lbs) eggplant, cut into ⅓-inch cubes
- Salt
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into ⅓-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 5 large vine-ripened tomatoes (1¾ lbs), cut into ⅓-inch cubes, with their juices
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
- Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked eggplant to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme, drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Let the dish cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Keep in mind that the zucchini won't stay crisp after being frozen.) This is delicious served cold, or reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 153
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 392 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Absolutely loved this recipe & cooked it for “vegan night,” which is a new once-a-week adventure for us. It was divine! I’ve made at least 15 of your recipes and all have come out wonderfully the first time. You have made cooking fun for me. Thank you, Jen!
💗
This is the second recipe I have made from this site and both were outstanding. Next time I am looking for a recipe this will be my go to.
I have tried several ratatouille recipes and none have come out as good — or as consistently great! — as this one. Thanks so much. There’s something about the bright simplicity of it. And how the flavor just gets better the next day. Yours has been my go-to recipe for a while now. Last night I made a double recipe for a crowd that includes both omnivores and vegetarians — a lot of whom hadn’t ever had ratatouille before — and everybody *loved* it. So glad I doubled the recipe because the first pot (had to use two!) went! There would have been no leftovers to enjoy if I hadn’t. And that would be a calamity!
Thank you! I’ve been wanting to make Ratatouille ever since the Pixar film came out. It looked so yummy. I made your recipe and loved it! It’s a staple now. Thank you!
I posted a photo but forgot to tag you. I’ll tag next tine I make. I’ll definitely make this often.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
A winner! And a good recipe to practice knife skills:)
Just made this & it is wonderful, I am sure it will be even better tomorrow. Not hard to make.👏
I dug this ratatouille out of my freezer today (made it in Aug 2019) and it was just as delicious as the day I made it. It was so nice to have a taste of summer during these dreary times! Thanks Jenn – I love this recipe and will have it again tomorrow with your artisan bread 🙂
This is a little embarrassing, Jenn, because I’ve been using your recipes for years (I never even go off your page on my iPhone Safari…ever, I just keep it up as one of my pages and never close it). I made the Ratatouille tonight. My daughter (11) helped. Trying to teach her some good basic cooking skills. I followed the recipe pretty well but added a can of rinsed garbanzo beans. Served it over quinoa. It was a hit. I hate altering a recipe and then giving it a review because, we’ll, it’s sort of no longer the recipe but I love garbanzo beans and try to sneak them in for fiber for my family (not that this wouldn’t have a lot of fiber as is). I also used shallots instead of onion because when I sent my daughter to the fridge for onion, she came out with shallots so I said, “yes, we can use those, are there 2 more?” And there were. My daughter can tell this is a healthy recipe and even commented that this is the food you want to be eating to stay as healthy as possible. Reading your recipes together and cooking with my daughter gives us so much joy. Pretty much every recipe you put together is a winner in our books. Love the potato leek soup 🙂
Your very appreciative fan, Alison Rowat (and her daughter Caroline Cready!!)
So glad you enjoy the recipes and that they play a small part in spending quality time with your daughter! 🙂
I just made this more or less. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a ratatouille or a caponata so I looked at a half dozen recipes and I decided what techniques and ingredients I wanted to use. It was mostly this recipe with some celery, capers, and toasted pine nuts from caponata recipes. I used a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes along with a fresh tomato and some chunky tomato sauce, based on what I had on hand. From my garden I used fresh basil, thyme, mint, and oregano. I love how the eggplant got soft but the squash and celery stayed crisp. I served it over some rustic no knead bread that I baked for an appetizer along with linguine and eggplant parmesan. We loved it. It’s like a garden in a bowl!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was absolutely delish! loved it so much, will be making it many more times. I don’t cook much, but trying to make more an effort these days and I’m a vegetarian so this is perfect.
So good! This tastes fresh and tasty no matter when you are eating it! Yet another incredible recipe on this site and I strongly recommend it, especially for a vegetarian or vegan (like myself)! If you’ve seen the Pixar film based on this dish, you simply must try this. And even if you haven’t seen the movie, I’m sure you should try this as well!